There were plenty of reasons to cherish the Southern California return of rock ’n’ soul legends the Rascals on a chilly Thursday night at the Greek Theatre – not least being that such a once-unimaginable reunion happened at all.

A key influence on future superstars like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty (the latter seated close to the stage here) with a bounty of raw-energy singles that sound remarkably fresh alongside today’s swarm of back-to-basics psych-rockers, the long-fractured quartet is one of very few important bands from the ’60s whose original lineup is still alive, let alone able to regroup.

Cream, the Hollies and, depending on how you define terms, the Moody Blues and Yes are the main U.K. exports that can say the same. Setting aside CSN&Y and the original Santana as principally ’70s bands minted at Woodstock, Sly & the Family Stone is probably the only quintessential American outfit from the Summer of Love or earlier capable of reforming – though given the condition of its leader, that would be a disaster.

The mostly Jersey-based Rascals, on the other hand, all at or soon to be 70, were in fairly strong form throughout their first L.A. performance in 45 years, since a Hollywood Bowl appearance in 1968. Better still, their two-hour hit parade, dubbed “Once Upon a Dream” after their album of the same name, is unlike any other nostalgia show this side of a Monkees tour.

More than merely enhanced by archival footage, as so many boomer-geared gigs are, this fresh-from-Broadway production, which would have been better-suited for the Pantages, stuffs roughly 30 songs into a clever, visually engaging package interspersed with insightful and often funny on-screen tales (some reenacted with younger lookalikes) about the band’s formation, heyday and downfall.

All of that, even the acid-blot backdrops, smartly contextualized a more or less chronological journey through their discography. Beyond pointing out how many of the same sociopolitical battles from the Vietnam era are still being fought in 2013, the array helped explain how the same group that stomped through garage-rock classics like “You Better Run” and “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” could just as easily switch to the smooth blue-eyed soul of “It’s a Beautiful Morning” and “Groovin’.”

Though the show is a bit stretched-out for casual fans – by the time they reached the ’69 protest anthem “People Got to Be Free,” it felt as though we’d marched to Washington and back – you certainly can’t accuse the Rascals of skimping. Some hardcore devotees, for instance, must have marveled not only at obscure covers like their much-too-slow rendition of Larry Williams’ “Slow Down” and peppier handling of the Marvelettes’ “Too Many Fish in the Sea” but also a series of Aquarian-age gems from their most adventurous period, notably a superb pairing of the piercing “Find Somebody” with the gleeful “A Girl Like You.”

Throughout it all, keyboardist Felix Cavaliere (above) was the inarguable standout. The band’s chief musical architect, oldest member, sole New Yorker and heartier vocalist sounded as if the past four decades had simply disappeared at the snap of his fingers. He sparked the proceedings early on with a roaring reading of “You Better Run” culminating in a stunning falsetto finish; later nuggets reminded of his versatility, turning his gruff holler silky and illustrating his affinity for Ray Charles.

Guitarist Gene Cornish also showed no signs of rust in his crisp fretwork, still steeped in the style of rockabilly heroes like James Burton and Duane Eddy but with considerably more grit than the original Rascals recordings captured.

If only their counterparts were still as sharp. Endearingly hobbit-like Eddie Brigati, largely left out of fleeting reunions in the past, has clearly lost his vitality. What should have been his big moment – “How Can I Be Sure,” a challenging piece that instantly exposes any singer’s shortcomings – was an unfortunate mess, though curiously he had more trouble with its lower, quieter passages than the sky-high choruses. Much of the time he was lucky to be abetted by three backing vocalists who covered for his lack of power, whereas they only complemented Cavaliere’s soulful holler.

Most troublesome, however, was drummer Dino Danelli. Once a ramshackle yet reliably tight powerhouse on the order of Keith Moon or Mitch Mitchell, he now has trouble maintaining steady rhythm. He often flubbed fills or lost sight of the beat and was generally unpredictable – one song would be sharp-edged and thunderous, the next flat-footed and sloppy. For anyone not lost in reverie, his erratic approach was a constant distraction.

Longtime rock ’n’ rollers often gripe about older bands resurfacing with only a few principals in place, the rest of the unit powered by (slightly) younger, more capable musicians. The reality is that ’60s stars both fundamental (John Fogerty) and minor (the Zombies) are better off for enlisting fresher, better-rehearsed backing. At this point, I’d prefer to see Cavaliere at his own show, with a band that can really cook.

Yet, faults and all, there was undeniably something special about witnessing the real Rascals happily enjoying themselves as much as the audience seemed to love ’em. That’s a kind of magic that can never be replaced.

Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Eddie Brigati of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Gene Cornish of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Dino Danelli of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
The Rascals perform during their 'Once Upon a Dream' tour stop at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
The Rascals perform during their 'Once Upon a Dream' tour stop at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Eddie Brigati of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Dino Danelli of the Rascals performs at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
The Rascals perform during their 'Once Upon a Dream' tour stop at the Greek Theatre Thursday night. KELLY A. SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER

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